Match-starter for internal-combustion engines.



M. MARSDBN. MATCH STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28, 1911. RENEWED APR. 2, 1912.

1,071,327, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

WITNESSES I NVENTOR Azlofnzya lVIARVIN MARSDEN, 01: EDGERTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T E. M. LADD, OF EDGERTON, WISCONSIN.

MATCH-STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 26,1913.

Application filed April 28, 1911, Serial No. 623,935. Renewed April 8, 1912. Serial No. 689,407.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MARVIN Mnnsnmv, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Edgerton, in the county of Rock and State of li isconsin, have invented cerwithout the aid of the battery or electric sparker used for igniting the charges in engines of this character.

lit is a further object of my invention to provide a device of this character with a match-striking surface so disposed with re lation to the receivingchamber for the match, that when the latter is projected against the striking surface, ignition of the match is assured.

l t is a still further object of the invention to provide a device of this character in which any of the different forms of matches which may be ignited by frictional contact with a metallic surface may be used.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter fully described and claimed, and in describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to such drawings, like numerals indicating like parts throughout the diiferent views, in which:

Figure 1, is a central longitudinal sectional view of my improved starter, showing the same mounted in position in the cylinder wall of an engine, the device as here shown, being substantially full size, Fig. 2, is an enlarged view in side elevation of the inner end of the starter, Fig. 3, is a plan view of the same, Fig. l is an underneath plan View of the same part, and Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof.

In gas and gasolene engines, especially those of the larger sizes, it is found diflicult to start the engine by hand-turning of the fly-wheel until an explosion occurs, and my device is designed to provide means for ploding an initial charge or mixture of air and explosive gas or vapor by hand-operated mechanism, after which, the electric igniter driven by the engine will ignite the charges.

In the preferred embodiment of my in vention as herein illustrated, I provide a hollow stem which is secured in, preferably by threading, the cylinder wall 11, at any desired point, either in the side of such wall above the point where it would be engaged by the piston, or in the cylinder head. Most, gas engines as now constructed are provided at some suitable point near their charge-receiving end with a threaded hole, in which a relief cock is placed; this threaded hole may be employed for the reception of the starter if desired. This stem as stated, is threaded into the cylinder wall, and is also extcriorlythreaded at its outer end to receive an. interiorly-threaded collar 12 car ried by a cup-member l-fl, constituting one of the elements of a stuffing-box; this member 14 is adapted to receive a suitable packing 15, that is compressed by means of a gland 16 threaded into the outer end of the cup member. A plunger rod 17 is mounted in the gland and base of the cup to work in the hollow stem 10, and may or may not be provided with the headed inner end 18, according to thediameter of the plunger with respect to the bore of the hollow stem. In other words, where the diameter of the plunger rod is such as to substantially fill the bore of the stem, the head 18 may be omitted. Near its outer end, the rod is formed with an abutment 19, and at its extreme outer end has a suitable knob, button or Presser-piece secured thereon in any desirable manner. Obviously, if the abutment 19 is an integral part of the rod 17, the head 18 must either be a separate part secured onto the end of the rod, or such head may be formed by upsetting the end of the rod after the latter has been inserted through the stuflingbox; or the button 20 and abutment 19 may be secured onto the rod after the latter has been inserted through the stuffing-box. It is to be noted that the inner end of the enlargement which forms the abutment is some distance from the button; this prevents the operator s fingers being caught between the button and the gland 16 when the plunger is forced inwardly, while the head 18 on the inner end of the rod prevents disengagement of the rod from the rest of the device.

At its inner end, the stem 10, is cut away on one face, herein shown as on the upper face, which forms a projecting-lip 21. The face 22 of this lip is corrugated or otherwise roughened and extends at an angle of substantially forty five degrees with respect -to the vertical other face of the incut made in the stem to form the lip, said face terminating at its upper end at a point substantially in a plane with the upper wall of the bore in the stem 10. The said lip-portion of the stem is also cut away on opposite faces with inclined cuts 23 which substantially meet at the extreme upper end of the lip, and the latter is somewhat rounded on its outer end, so that the roughened matchstriking face of the lip comes substantially to a point at the upper end of such face or surface. To reduce to a minimum, consistent with stability, the amount of metal projecting into the combustion chamber of the engine, the sides of the stem at the lip-portion are cut away as at 24, and the lip itself cut away on the under side as at 25.

In Fig. 1, an ordinary parlor match 26 is shown in position in the starter ready to be ignited. This match is inserted in the stem by unscrewing the stufiing-box and placing the match in the stem, and the stufiing-box is again placed in position. To ignite the match, the plunger rod is forced inwardly, which thrusts the head of the match onto the roughened surface 22 of the lip 21. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1, that the stem of the match is materially smaller than the bore of the stem 10; consequently, as the head of the match strikes the roughened surface 22,, the forward portion of the match will move upward to the limit permitted by the bore of the stem, the head of the match remaining in contact with and riding over the roughened surface of the lip, causing the match head to ignite, and the resultant flame igniting the explosive charge in the combustion chamber. It is to be observed that the roughened face of the lip is so arranged with relation to the bore of the stem, that possibility of the match failing to ignite on the roughened surface of the lip is taken care of by the formation of the lip at the extreme upper end thereof, where the point 27 of the lip is substantially in line with the upper wall of the bore of the stem, so that if the match head reaches this point without having been ignited, further inward thrust of the match will force the head thereof directly against point 27 so as to insure the ignition of such match head. The match stem after the charge has been ignited will readily consume and pass out of the cylinder with the other products of combustion.

In practice, I have found it desirable to specially forge the lip of the device so that the same will withstand the heat to which the same is necessarily subjected.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

A match starter for internal combustion engines comprising a hollow stein externally threaded at both ends and constituting a match-receiving chamber, a forged lip formed at the inner end of said stem beyond the bore thereof and having an inclined roughened face fronting said bore and terminating at its upper end in a point lying substantially'in a plane with the upper wall of the stem bore, a stufiing box detachably mounted on the threaded outer end of the stem, and a plunger working through said stufling-box to thrust the match in the stem against the roughened face of said lip, said plunger having a head on the inner end acting to prevent withdrawal of the plunger from the stuffing box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARVIN MARSDEN. lVitnesses E. M. LADI) A. E. SKINNER.

Copies 0!, this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

